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california

Huddle was a chain of coffee-shops and restaurants primarily located around California. Designed around the ever so popular and playful Googie-type theme that was found all over the state in the 1950s and 1960s. Bold and colorful lettering, shapes and swirls and patterns that was meant to be a reference to space-age living. But, what happened to them? Huddle was the brainchild of entrepreneur Paul...

A 14-minute documentary about the last “red car” train from downtown Los Angles to Long Beach in 1961. The red cars, along with buses and streetcars were famous sights in California and operated by the Pacific Electric company. The Los Angeles to Long Beach passenger rail line served from July 4, 1903 until April 9, 1961. Back then it still had long stretches of open...

Melvin Hale is a award-winning digital artist from Los Angeles, California that specializes in bringing back old photographs to life. He also offers a collection called California Chromes, which are composed from remastered and re-imagined vintage color images of a colorful California. They are primarily street scenes of cities, beaches and other destinations. California Chromes showcase fun places with fond memories, and make for truly...

The Disneyland Hotel in Anahem, California opened its doors in 1955 as a motor-inn type Hotel. Walt Disney wanted to build a hotel for Disneyland visitors to stay overnight. However, Disney’s financial resources were significantly depleted by the construction of the park, so he negotiated a deal with Jack Wrather and his business partner Maria Helen Alvarez under which Wrather-Alvarez Productions would own and operate...

The Accidental Sea is a 6-minute short film filmed and narrated by Ransom Riggs that briefly discusses the history of the Salton Sea area in California and also depicts the desolation of it since the area’s abandonment over the decades. ...

All you need to know is “Raquel!” stars Raquel Welch and was “filmed on location in London, Paris, Acapulco, Mexico City, Big Sur, Sun Valley, Yucatan, and Los Angeles!” She sings. She dances. And Bob Mackie designed the costumes. Prepare yourself to step into a time capsule that is so quintessentially 1970. “Raquel!” starts off with Raquel singing “Games People Play” during the opening credits...

The Brick House have visited a couple who have done a fantastic job of redecorating and restoring their home back to its original style and feel. Located in the high desert of Southern California, they invites us to a house tour. Jill and T.K. have been DIYing the crap out of their mid century pad for the past six years and while it’s still a...

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Ultra Swank

Ultra Swank is a magazine styled blog that takes you back in time into the kitsch, chic, swank and camp living of the 1940s to the 1970s. We mostly focus on the design, style, and fashion of the happy-go-lucky and space-age-living mentality of that era – but also on the music and movies that takes you back to happier times. Ultra Swank is written by a dedicated team of time travelers from around the globe.